


Is There Anyone Here With Me?

by TaraHarkon



Series: The Institute of Paranormal Research and Experimentation [1]
Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Ghost Hunters, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Character Turned Into a Ghost, F/F, F/M, Ghost Barry, Ghost Hunters, Harassment, Implied/Referenced Sexual Harassment, Lucas Miller is awful, Lup has a potty mouth, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-25
Updated: 2018-06-20
Packaged: 2019-03-23 17:01:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 16,957
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13792149
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TaraHarkon/pseuds/TaraHarkon
Summary: Lup, Julia, and Kravitz just want to find ghosts. Taako and Magnus are here to impress. And the ghost in the physics building? He doesn't want to be alone anymore.





	1. The Investigation: Day 1

“So, I’ve been doing some research and working on compiling a list of the equipment we’re going to need.” Kravitz looked down at his phone as he spoke, skimming his notes. “Luckily, most of it isn’t going to be difficult to get and the rest should be within the club budget.”

Lup dropped into a seat and opened her laptop, pulling up files while she listened. Nodding slowly, she nudged her twin brother with her boot.

“Koko, did you find anything neat?”

Taako shook his head, lounging beside Lup.

“Aside from learning that the freshmen already found out that Merle’s got the good stuff, nothing.”

Magnus laughed, shaking his head in disbelief. He was leaning against the blackboard, his letterman jacket hanging off one of the chairs.

“That sure explains the crazy stories coming out of Felicity Hall. Especially that one kid saying he saw chimeras.”

Taako nodded in agreement.

“A little of Merle’s stash and a whole lot of FMA, my dude.”

Just then, the door burst open and Julia Waxmen ran in, still wearing her workout clothes from practice. She skidded to a halt and grinned.

“Guys, I found one. A ghost story on campus that’s got some credibility.”

Kravitz and Lup exchanged the same excited look. Julia slid into her usual seat on the desk at the front of the classroom they met in and held up her notes.

“Okay, so you know Sterling Hall? The physics building?” She was grinning with excitement as she watched the expressions on everyone else’s faces. “So, I’ve got a whole bunch of stories. We’ve got knocking, voices, lights turning on and off, and some reports of people actually seeing a figure. Nothing distinct. Like the shadow of a person?”

Kravitz reached for his notebook, his eyes alight with curiosity.

“Do we have any information about who the spirit could be?”

Julia shook her head and Taako raised an eyebrow.

“What kind of nerd managed to die in the physics building?”

Everyone else turned to look at Taako and Lup sighed.

“I’ll see if Luce has any research, but let’s set up an investigation. Cool?” There was a round of nodding agreement and Lup continued, a grin crossing her face slowly. “I’ll set it up for Friday night. Krav, you get that equipment together. Everybody else, make sure you’ve got a flashlight and pick a buddy.”

* * *

When Friday night came, Lup was ready and raring to go. She had a flashlight tucked into pocket, her phone was charged, and she even had a brand new voice recorder. Taako was slightly less gungho, but as he’d told her when this club had first started, he was here for two reasons and two reasons only: making sure she got her damn nerd club and to try and get into Kravitz’s pants. Together, they trudged up to the physics building and the meeting place the group had picked out on the front steps. Julia was already there, her hair pulled back in a messy ponytail with a baseball cap keeping it out of her eyes. Magnus was sitting on the stairs, watching Julia as she double-checked the equipment with Kravitz.

“I also got a trap camera. I thought that perhaps it would be useful for catching motion if we find a hot spot of activity.”

“That sounds perfect. According to what I’ve heard, the big lecture hall gets the shadows the most. That might be a good place to set it up?”

Lup picked a K2 meter up off the table and examined it.

“Where did you even get this stuff, Krav?”

He shrugged a little.

“Mostly the internet. Mother doesn’t question what I order on there as long as it doesn’t look illegal.”

She shoved it in her pocket and put an arm around his shoulders.

“My dude, you’re the best. We ready to set up?”

“Absolutely.”

Julia spread a map of the building out on the low wall beside the stairs.

“Here’s what we’re looking at. We’ve got sightings in a few of the classrooms, the big lecture hall, one of the labs, and on a flight of stairs headed down towards storage. That’s a lot to cover, but I think we can put stationary cameras on the stairs and in the lecture hall. Then we split up and take classrooms. We should...probably try to stick in pairs, but there are five of us so-”

Lup cut Julia off.

“It’s cool, I’ll go on my own. I’m a big girl, I don’t mind the dark. Taako and Kravitz can stick together and you can go with Maggie. Sound good?”

If Lup noticed the subtle thumbs up from Taako and the bright blush on Magnus’ cheeks, she ignored both of them. Julia looked over at Magnus and raised an eyebrow.

“Think you can keep up, Burnsides?”

“You better believe it, Waxmen.”

Kravitz handed Lup a video camera as they both ignored the jock-flirting.

“We should each pick an area so we don’t contaminate each other’s results. Taako and I can go to the basement staircase and start there. Julia, can you and Magnus take the second floor?”

“You got it. And that leaves the lab, or the lecture hall for you, Lup.”

Lup took a long look at the map spread out before her, trying to imagine where ghost would hang out. Then she pointed at the lab.

“I’ll start there and radio in if I end up moving.”

Kravitz nodded as well.

“A sound plan. Shall we then?”

* * *

 

About 20 minutes later, they had their equipment set up and Lup was alone in the first floor physics lab. She’d left the lights off and had a flashlight sitting on the table beside her. Not, of course, that she expected to need it. She was an Elf. Elves didn’t need flashlights to see in the dark. She set the K2 meter down beside the flashlight and looked around a little. Then she lounged against one of the tables, holding up a her phone with the recorder app running.  
  
"So, is there anyone here with me?"  
  
She waited in silence for a moment, trying to keep from drumming her fingers on her thigh.

“If there’s someone here, could you like maybe make a sound? Knock on the wall or something?”

Silence. Lup shifted slightly, wondering what time it was. She didn’t think she’d been away from the rest of the team for very long. There was a bump on the other side of the room and Lup nearly dropped her phone.

“Shit! Fuck!”

Juggling it for a second, she managed to get a firm grip again and realized it had stopped recording. She hit the playback button and listened. Her own voice. Silence. More of her talking. Then...something. A whisper? She rewound the recording and listened again, eyes closed in concentration. Maybe. Maybe it was something. She saved that and started again.

“I thought I heard something on that last recording, my dude. Think you could try again?” She paused. “I’ve also got some meters and stuff, if you want to try to set those off. If you touch the one on the table, you can make it light up and that would be absolutely rad.”

She watched the meter for a moment. The lights across the top suddenly blinked on and that time, Lup did drop her phone. She grabbed it just before it hit the tiled floor.  
  
"Whoa! Did you do that, my dude?"  
  
It lit up again and Lup stood there, staring at it in wonder.  
  
"Okay, okay, awesome! Can you like... once for yes and twice for no?"  
  
It lit up once and then went out. Lup looked around frantically, trying to figure out if something else might be setting it off. Taako was never going to believe her.


	2. Begin EVP Session

Taako was watching the screen of the digital camera, following Kravitz as he paced back and forth at the bottom of the stairs. Kravitz was holding a digital recorder in one hand and an EMF detector in the other, his eyes on the digital readout for the EMF detector.  
  
“Let me know if you see anything, alright, Taako?”  
  
“Yeah, natch, cha’boy Taako’s got you.”  
  
Kravitz looked over at the elf on the stairs and smiled a little. Taako shot him a thumbs up and then looked back down at the camera. Kravitz looked down at his digital recorder again and clicked it on.  
  
“If there’s anyone here, could you make a sound? Or perhaps speak?” He paused, waiting and watching the meter. “My friend on the stairs has a video camera, if you’d like to show yourself. We would be very excited to meet you.”  
  
They both stayed silent, Taako’s eyes following Kravitz’s form on the small camera screen. After a few minutes, Taako shifted on the step and stretched his legs out.  
  
“So, Krav, could you like...explain this shit? I get that you’re like trying to talk to the ghost or whatever, but how does it work?”  
  
He tried to keep his tone casual. It wouldn’t do to scare the guy off. No, that was definitely not the plan. Kravitz looked up, a little smile on his face.  
  
“Which part? Recording it?”  
  
“Yeah, that. Like, we can’t hear them so how does it get recorded?”  
  
The smile on Kravitz’s face grew as he tried to explain the theories. Taako was watching the way Kravitz formed the words, the ways his lips moved, and trying very hard to ignore the desire in his gut to go see how those lips would feel pressed against his own. He couldn’t get distracted. He had a mission here. And he wasn’t leaving until he had a date scheduled with Kravitz.

* * *

 

“Okay, Burnsides,” Julia had her arms crossed over her chest, her eyes on Magnus. “I need to run back down and grab another flashlight. This one isn’t working. Can you start an EVP session alone and I’ll jump in when I get back?”  
  
Magnus nodded eagerly. They’d been up on the second floor for about twenty minutes now and he was so happy that Lup had paired him with Julia. Part of him wondered if Lup maybe knew about his crush, but he didn’t think so. How could she? It wasn’t like he’d told anybody.  
  
“You got it!”  
  
Magnus held up his recorder and gave Julia a sketchy salute. She smiled and shook her head a little, trying not a laugh.  
  
“Awesome. And radio in if anything happens.”  
  
With that, she turned and strode out the door. But Julia didn't go that far. She waited until it sounded like Magnus was talking, nervously asking for anything here to show itself or give him a sign or something, then she very very carefully closed the door to the room he was in and ducked down under the window to sit against it. He'd be able to turn the knob, but if he tried to leave, he would have to shove through her.  
  
For Magnus’ part, he was pretty alright. Until the door closed. Until he was alone in the dark and pretty sure something else was there with him. He had tried the door only once, stopping the moment he received resistance.  
  
“Hey, uh, you're not like... a vengeful ghost, right?”  
  
Magnus took a deep breath and Julia tried not to laugh.  
  
“Because like, I know I'm sort of a jock, but I'm like a soft jock. My best friends are nerds.”  
  
Julia could hear him pacing and turned, looking through the window of the classroom. He was holding his flashlight like it was a weapon and looking around frantically. She grinned to herself and opened the door.  
  
“I'm back, Burnsides. Anything interesting happen?”  
  
Magnus looked at her with wide eyes, his hands tight on his flashlight.  
  
“I think we've got a Poltergeist situation going on. Or maybe more like The Haunting. I think the ghost is a vengeful nerd and we need to go find the others before it kidnaps them to become nerd ghosts too.”  
  
Julia didn't want to laugh, dammit. She wanted to keep the goof alive. But he was so earnest, so convinced that their friends were in danger. She walked right up to him and lowered the flashlight.  
  
“You're cute when you're all protective, Burnsides. But you need to tell me one thing. What's a soft jock?”

* * *

 

The K2 meter lit again and Lup couldn’t believe her eyes. She started a new recording on her phone and licked her lips nervously.  
  
“My name is Lup. If you’re still here, can you tell me your name?”  
  
She gave the ghost a minute or so to answer before playing the recording back. There it was, a gravely whisper.  
  
“Barry.”  
  
Her hands were shaking. She replayed it over and over again, trying to find some sign that she was hearing something other than a voice saying a name. Finally, she looked at the K2 meter and took a breath.  
  
“Barry? Is your name Barry?”  
  
The K2 lit up like the campus at Candlenights. Lup knew she was grinning like an absolute idiot and categorically did not care. This was rapidly hitting Best Day Ever territory right here.  
  
“Okay, Barry, think you can answer a few questions for me? You can keep using the K2 or speak or whatever you want, my dude.”  
  
She watched the K2 flicker and smiled.  
  
“Once for yes, twice for no. Got it? Awesome. Were you a student here?”  
  
Yes.  
  
“Have you been here a long time?”  
  
A slow no. Interesting.  
  
“Do you remember what happened? How you died?”  
  
Another almost hesitant no.  
  
“Shit, I'm sorry dude. Uh. Lighter question, were you a physics major?”  
  
An immediate yes.  
  
“Hell yeah, same hat, ghost dude. Oh, shit, give me a second to play back the recorder, okay?”  
  
She hit playback and listened carefully. There, after she asked what his major was, she heard a sound like laughter.  
  
“You think I'm funny, ghost dude?”  
  
Yes.  
  
Lup couldn't help it, she starting smiling.  
  
“Got any other messages for me?”  
  
Yes.  
  
She held up the recorder and waited, giving him enough time to get something through. Then she pushed the playback. She waited through the silence, ears straining for any hint of him speaking. Then it was there, clear as day.  
  
“Don't go.”


	3. End EVP Session

Lup took a shaky breath, staring at her phone. 

“That's some horror movie bullshit right there, my dude. And I am so not down for that. So, like...”

She scooped up the K2 and reached for her flashlight. It rolled away from her fingers and Lup looked up.

“Not cool, Barry.”

The K2 lit up and then dimmed again. Lup took a breath and reached for the flashlight again. This time, it rolled into her hand.

“Uh...thanks?”

She hesitated then, looking at the flashlight in her hand.

“You didn’t mean it the way it sounded, did you? All ‘join me in death’, this the part where Koko becomes an only child? You’re just...lonely?”

* * *

Barry leaned against the workbench, his eyes on Lup’s face. It was so odd having someone pay attention to him, hear him, talk to him. Odd, but more than welcome.

“Sorry about that, I really didn’t mean to sound like a creep. I just... I’ve liked talking to you.”

She laughed at something, the tone almost self-accusatory. Dammit, he could see her lips moving, but he couldn’t catch all the words. Was this how it was for her too, maybe? Could that be why she wasn’t answering his questions? 

“Recorder.”

He frowned a little and then laughed, realizing what she must mean. She had to turn on the recorder. Lup tapped the app on her phone again and Barry leaned in closer, curious. He wondered if it had something to do with the nature of the app recorder or if any voice recorder would be able to pick up his voice now? Either way, he could see that she was recording again.

“Sorry for before, Lup. I didn’t mean it to come out as...whatever you heard.”

She waited a moment, her eyes on her phone and his eyes on her. Then she pushed play and listened. She smiled then and turned, almost looking right at him, almost.

“-be back, Barry.”

A little smile crossed his face. Well, that was more than he’d expected. More than he could have hoped for. He stretched, reaching over the workbench to get a hand on the K2 meter in her hand to make it light one more time. Her smile was absolutely worth it. Then he sighed, laying his head down on the tabletop.  _ Get a hold of yourself, Barry. She’s alive and you're not. _

* * *

Lup was already waiting in their base camp when Taako and Kravitz came up from the basement. Taako had a self-satisfied grin on his face. Lup rolled her eyes when he flashed her a thumbs up. For his part, Kravitz merely shrugged.

“We didn’t get any activity, but there’s always the review.”

Lup held up her phone, grinning broadly.

“I’ve got some stuff, but I want to wait until-”

They heard footsteps and laughter coming down the stairs and all three turned to see Julia laughing and Magnus with his hands in the air.

“You were  _ messing with me, _ Waxmen? Seriously?”

Julia stopped at the bottom of the stairs, blocking Magnus’ path. She had her hands on her hips and a cocky grin on her face.

“Had to, Soft Jock Burnsides. You’re the new kid in this outfit and I needed to see how you’d jump.” Then she turned to Kravitz and Lup. “He’s a panic negotiator. It was kind of cute, honestly. We can keep him.”

Then she moved aside to let Magnus through and went to see what the others had. Taako stretched and leaned against the wall.

“So, review bullshit tomorrow, right? And then another night and fun and high adventure?”

Lup shoved her brother, nearly knocking him off his feet. He pinwheeled for a second and righted himself.

“Yeah. And I’ve got some real great stuff. I think we should take turns working in the lab tomorrow night. Seriously. I had a fucking convo with our ghost.”

That got everyone’s attention and Lup held up her phone again.

“I’ve got it all right here. I just want to make sure I get this bad boy backed up on my laptop before something stupid happens to it. You know how it goes.”

Kravitz nodded and reached for one of the cases their cameras went in.

“Alright, team, we need to pack everything up. So that means lights up and sweep. Meet up in the AV lab tomorrow after classes for the review. Lup, can you get those files onto the share drive?”

Lup gave Kravitz a sketchy salute.

“You got it, boss.”

* * *

On the way back to their apartment, Lup hip-checked her brother.

“So?”

Taako looked up from his phone and grinned like the cat who got the cream.

“Cha’boy’s got a date. I told you, Lulu, all it took was five minutes alone and Hotty McGothpants is wrapped around my finger.”

Lup rolled her eyes, but she was happy for Taako. He needed this. Better, she already knew that Kravitz was a good guy. Not like Taako’s ex. If she ever saw Sazed again... Well... That was something Future Lup could worry about if it came up. Right now, Present Lup very much wanted to back up her phone and go the fuck to bed. 


	4. The Evidence Review

Lup knew she should have been headed to the evidence review after classes, but she had woken up with a gnawing feeling in her gut. And that feeling had ended up with her here, with one hand raised about to knock on the door of the only one of her friends who had flatly refused to join the ghost hunting club.

“Come on, Luce, I know you’re home.”

After a long moment, the door opened and Lucretia stood there holding a cup of tea. She raised an eyebrow at Lup and Lup shoved past her into the dorm room.

“Luce, I need your help. Like, research help. Like, you have access to the archives for the school paper kind of help.”

Lucretia set her tea down on the desk and turned to look at her friend.

“The last time you asked me for help, we ended up breaking into a frat house at three in the morning.”

Lup shrugged.

“Grimaldis had it coming. Now, listen, I just need you to look up a name in the archives, okay? Just like... cross reference to see if there was ever a guy in the physics department named Barry. And maybe if there was an accident or something?”

Lucretia sighed and sat down on her bed. She was silent for a long moment, carefully formulating her words.

“So you want me to go through the records to maybe find some guy based on a first name and there maybe being an accident. This is because of the ghost hunting, isn’t it?” Lucretia had to admit that her curiosity was piqued. “Did you find something?”

Lup held up her phone and pushed play on the recording.

_“My name is Lup. If you’re still here, can you tell me your name?”_

_“Barry.”_

She stopped the recording again and grinned.

“Well?”

Lucretia sighed and rubbed her temples.

“Alright, fine, I’ll look. But don’t expect me to find anything, Lup.”

* * *

The last classes for the day were letting out and Barry was already feeling lonely. Pretty soon, there would only be professors left in the building and it wasn’t like any of them noticed when he did things. Not even his old advisor noticed him puttering around in her office. Not that Professor Miller was likely to notice much with all of the projects she was supervising and with her son under foot. The students were milling in the halls on their way out, noisy and boisterous as ever, but Barry only heard a muted hum. Not for the first time, he pulled himself up to sit on the workbench and wondered what he’d done wrong in his life to be trapped like this. Was this a punishment for something? He knew as much as anyone could about the veil between life and death and he was quite certain he should have been on the other side of it by now, not awkwardly tap dancing on the line. He stared out the window, watching figures as they ran from building to building. Then he spotted a bright spot of gold in the crowd and smiled. There she was again. Lup. She was running towards the compsci building with her backpack slung haphazardly over one shoulder. He slid off the desk and walked to the window. Maybe she would come back. Maybe they could talk again. He wanted so badly to talk to— someone. Anyone. Her.

“Lucas...”  
  
Professor Miller walked into the classroom then, trailed after by her son. He was a grad student now, not the scrawny undergrad Barry had known. He was sporting a beard these days and Barry grimaced. It didn’t suit him in the slightest.   
  
“...ghost...”  
  
Barry’s head snapped up and he wished he could hear what they were saying. Were they talking about him? Did they know he was here?   
  
“Professor Miller?”   
  
He ran over, trying to find some way to get their attention. There had to be something. Instead, Lucas set a box on the table and pushed a button on it. It whined and buzzed and the sound tore through Barry’s soul. It was like fire. Lucas grinned, looking at the box and Barry heard three words clearly.  
  
“No more problems.”

With a concerted effort, Barry let go of the semblance of physicality he usually maintained out of comfort and habit. He slipped between the floors of the building and down into the basement. The basement was safe. The basement was locked. The basement was quiet. Whatever the hell Lucas Miller was building _this time_ couldn’t hurt him here.

* * *

Kravitz leaned back in his chair with his eyes closed and his headphones on. Most of what he was hearing was static periodically punctuated by his voice or Taako’s. His eyes snapped open at a new sound. He stopped the recording and scrubbed back a few seconds. There. Foot steps. He marked the time on his notepad and turned to look at the others. Julia had headphones on as well, completely focused on the monitor in front of her. Magnus was sitting next to her, watching the same thing. Taako had his feet up on the desk while he fiddled with the recorder he was listening to.

“Where’s Lup?”

Taako blinked, pulling off his headphones.

“What?”

Kravitz smiled a little and repeated his question.

“Where’s Lup?”

Taako shrugged.

“How should I know, homie? I’m not her fucking keeper.”

Kravitz smiled and shook his head. Lup would be here eventually. Instead, he looked over at Taako’s notepad. He had a few times marked down.

“Which recording are you working on, Taako?”

“Cha’boy’s got the overnight lecture hall tapes. It’s mostly a snooze fest, but I found a few bits where it sounds like someone’s pacing back and forth.” Kravitz lit up at that and Taako couldn’t help but smile. “Wanna give it a listen, bubbeleh?”

The door slammed open then and Lup ran in, dropping her backpack into her usual chair.

“Sorry I’m late, but it was absolutely fucking worth it. Lucretia is a research goddess and she got me that good good corroborative evidence.”

Julia set her headphones down and looked at Lup excitedly.

“What are we corroborating?”

With a dramatic zip, Lup opened her backpack and pulled out a folder full of newspaper clippings. She slammed it down on the table and then seemed to process what Julia had asked.

“My evidence? The shit I caught up in the lab? Like, I recorded a whole conversation, my dude. Did no one listen to it?”

Kravitz shook his head.

“Lup, the files you uploaded had nothing in them.”


	5. Historical Research

Lup stared at Kravitz in confusion. She _knew_ she had uploaded those files last night. She was sure.   
  
"What are you talking about, Krav? They should be in my folder on the drive and..." She leaned over him, staring at the computer screen. There were the files, with her labels and everything. She opened up Lup-Lab-A-Day-1.mp3 and pressed play. Silence. _Silence_.  "What the fuck? No, this had... this had... I had a whole fucking convo with my ghost dude and like..."  
  
Taako looked at her with something like worry in his eyes.  
  
"Lulu, are you sure you-"  
  
"Yes, I'm fucking sure, Koko!" She just about exploded at her brother. Then Lup took a breath and ran her fingers through her hair. "Look, I still have the files on my phone. Can we just try them there before you all decide that cha'girl's gone riding the crazy train?"

Lup pulled her phone out and held it up so Kravitz could see as pressed play on one of the recordings. It crackled for a moment and then a voice could be heard, one that distinctly was not her. It was lower and gravely, almost a whisper.

_ “...Sorry...didn’t mean it...” _

Then her voice could be heard.

_ “I’ve gotta go meet up with the others, but I’ll be back, Barry.” _

And then the recording stopped. For a long moment, the room was still. Then Julia vaulted over the table and grabbed the phone right out of Lup’s hand, scrolling through the rest of the files.  
  
“Holy shit, Lup, this is _amazing_!”  
  
Magnus was leaning forward, fear and excitement in his eyes.   
  
“So is that like a... close encounter of the third kind sort of thing?”  
  
Taako rolled his eyes.  
  
“That’s aliens, my dude. This is an EVP. Intelligent haunt, right Bones?”  
  
He nudged Kravitz who was staring at Lup, dumbfounded. Kravitz nodded slowly.

“If it was interacting and responsive, that’s absolutely an intelligent haunt. But we’ll need more information to properly classify it.”

Lup grinned and flipped open the folder she’d slammed onto the table.   
  
“So I got his name pretty early on in the convo and I asked Luce to do her nerd shit in the archives and may I introduce you to our ghost boy.”  
  
On the top of the stack of papers was a picture of a smiling young man with thick black glasses, messy auburn hair, and a book in his arms standing with-  
  
“Isn’t that your advisor, Lulu?”  
  
Professor Maureen Miller.  
  
Lup nodded slowly.  
  
“Yeah, and apparently she was this nerd’s advisor too.” She flipped through the articles for a second, trying to find a specific one. “Here, so it was about 4 years ago, it looks like...”

* * *

_ Maureen Miller smiled as he door to her office opened and her favorite grad student walked in. He was holding his experiment log in one hand with an excited look on his face. Barry Hallwinter held it out, his hands shaking. _

_“I think... I think the math is good. Professor, we can really do this.”_ _  
_  
_Maureen skimmed his notes, her eyes getting wider and wider as she read. She had always known that Barry was smart, that given the opportunity he would achieve amazing things, but she had never expected him to crack something like this._ _  
_  
_“We’ll set up a project for a prototype. You know we’re going to need-“_ _  
_  
__“An ethics evaluation too, I know. I already started the- the forms. But I wanted to show you the uh... the math.” Now his natural anxiety showed. “It is good, isn’t it? I didn’t make a mistake?”

_“Nothing that I see, Barry.” She looked his notes and diagrams over once more, trying to decide what to do with this. Breaking down world walls was dangerous to say the least. She took a breath and continued. “Do you think you can modify this for a viewing apparatus?”_ _  
_  
_He blinked and then the gears in his brilliant mind began to turn._ _  
_  
_“Yeah, yeah, of course.” He paused then. “And I was thinking... We could point it...”_ _  
_  
_He reached over and flipped the pages of his log to an intricate planar diagram and pointed at one of the intersecting circles._ _  
_  
_“Here.”_ _  
_  
_Maureen frowned just slightly and looked up at him quizzically._ _  
_  
__“The astral plane?”

* * *

Taako snagged the picture out of the stack and looked it over.

"Lulu, only you could find a __ghost that's your fucking type."  
  
Lup grabbed it back and Kravitz raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Type?"  
  
Taako laughed.  
  
"Yeah, Lulu's a sucker for nerds, my guy. She's absolutely hopeless."  
  
"Hey, Taako? Unless you want me pulling out the receipts, you'd better quit it." Taako glared at her and Lup continued on. "Anyway, so it looks like he disappeared four years ago. Without a trace. Pretty fucking spooky, right?"

Kravitz reached for another article in the stack. For a long moment, he was silent. Then he leaned against the table and began to read aloud.  
  
"A memorial service was held today for Sildar "Barry" Hallwinter. It has been a year to the day since he disappeared on the way from his dormitory to the physics lab. Barry was remembered fondly by students and faculty, including his advisor, Professor Maureen Miller, and her son, Lucas, who had reportedly been helping him in the lab during the time when he disappeared."  
  
Lup blinked. She hadn't noticed that one before. The corners of her mouth turned down in a frown. She knew Lucas Miller, irritating grad student. He still helped his mom with her classes and did weird experiments in the communal lab. Well, if they got to the interview stage in this investigation, she would just send someone else to talk to him because she had zero desire to be in the same room as Lucas Miller without one of the professors around. He gave her the absolute creeps, especially the way she kept catching him watching her.

Kravitz drummed on the table, contemplating the newspaper clipping in his hand.  
  
“Alright, this matches up with what you heard. Let’s schedule another investigation and put someone else in Lab A. We’ll see if this ghost comes out for anyone else. Tomorrow night?”  
  
Lup nodded, silently deciding she would go and do some investigating of her own tonight. The rest of the group was excited, energized to find evidence. Lup wanted answers of a different kind.


	6. Technical Difficulties

Barry didn’t move from his hiding spot until he was absolutely certain there was no way that Lucas Miller was still in the building. He didn’t know why his one-time project partner was constantly experimenting with machines that could reach into the astral plane now, but he was. On one hand, he figured it was probably his fault for coming up with the formulae in the first place, but on the other hand he really wished he didn’t have to deal with it.

Standing, he listened for movement in the building. It was probably late enough that even the professors were gone and he could go back upstairs. He passed through the door and started up the stairs out of the basement, getting to the landing just as the main door to the building opened. He took a step back, forgetting no one could see him. Then he smiled when he realized who it was.

* * *

Lup’s footsteps were the only sound in the empty, echoing halls of the physics building. She held her phone tightly in one hand and her K2 meter in the other. She was alert to any sound, anything that might be Barry. He had to be here somewhere, right? She stopped on the stairs to the second floor, suddenly uncertain. What if he wasn’t here? She had no idea whether he only haunted this building or if maybe he could be anywhere on campus. After all, it wasn’t like anyone knew what had happened to him. She heard a knock behind her and turned.

“Barry?”

There was another knock then and she couldn’t help but smile. She sat down on the steps and held out her phone, turning the recorder back on.

“Are you there, Barry?” Between her questions, she paused to give him time to answer. “Would it be cool if I asked you some more questions, my dude?”

* * *

 

Barry sat down next to Lup on the stairs and smiled a little.

“Yeah, I’m here.”

He watched her carefully, trying to figure out if maybe he could read her lips and at least guess at what she was saying. It couldn’t be too hard, right?

“...cool...questions...dude?”

There was definitely a lot more to that, whatever she’d just said.

“Uh... Sure? Yeah? I hope you didn’t just ask me something real embarrassing...”

Lup pushed play on the recording, listening it it with her head tilted to the side and her eyes closed. She nodded slowly and Barry wondered how much she had heard.

* * *

“Is your last name Hallwinter? I found an article from the school paper and I thought that might be you.”

The K2 lit up and Lup grinned. Then she set it on the floor beside her.

“Thanks for reminding me I brought this thing. So, Barry Hallwinter. Rad. Do you remember Professor Miller?” It lit up before she could even finish the question and she laughed. “Hell yeah. She’s my advisor too. Want me to tell her you’re here?”

Nothing. Nothing. 

“Barry?”

* * *

Barry didn’t know why he wasn’t answering. Yes! Tell her yes! Open the basement again and get someone to fix the viewing device and... and... But instead he remembered a blue flash and pain and then nothing but a feeling of weightlessness. Finally he reached out to tap the K2 twice. No.

“I don’t know, Lup. I don’t want to... to tell her and risk...” 

And risk what? That they couldn’t fix this? That he really was dead? That his favorite teacher who was practically a second mother had killed him? No, that wasn’t possible. He started to open his mouth to ask a question of his own when the door opened.

* * *

Lup looked up at the sound of footsteps and found herself face to face with the last person she wanted to be alone with ever. Lucas Miller smiled slowly, shooting a quick glance around.

“Fancy seeing you out and about without your brother, Lup.”

Lup stood quickly and jammed her phone into her pocket. 

“Fuck off, Lucas.”

He took a step towards her, a cocky grin on his face.

“Now, is that any way to talk to your advisor’s son, Lup?”

He was between her and the door, seemingly positioning himself that way on purpose. Lup tried to take a step back and her foot hit the next step. She felt something on her shoulder, stabilizing her, and wondered. Was Barry still here?

“You know, if you were nicer to me, I could make things easier here for you. Just think about it, Lup.”

Lucas didn’t notice that she’d almost fallen. He wasn’t watching her feet. Her eyes flicked to her door behind him. But the angle of the stairwell meant he had her cut off from that escape. What other ways out were there? If she could just get out of the building, she could disappear. Otherwise, she would have to fight her way out and that wouldn’t look great with Professor Miller.

“I don’t want your help.” She glanced again at the door. “I’m going home now, Lucas.”

He leaned against the wall, practically offering her an escape route.

“What were you doing in the lab this late anyway? Does my mother know what you’re up to?” Lup tensed and the corners of his lips turned up in a bare mockery of a smile. “I didn’t think so. I  _ could _ be nice. I  _ could _ not report this.”

* * *

Barry could feel the fear radiating off of Lup and at first, he didn’t understand. Then he took another look at Lucas and he knew.

“...could help...”

“... _ no _ .”

Lucas moved away from the wall and took another step towards Lup. Barry bent down and grabbed the K2 meter. It lit up like Candlenights and he knew Lucas was staring at it. Lup saw it too and she ran. She was out the door before Lucas could even move. 

* * *

Lup was halfway back to her apartment, fury coursing through her veins, when her phone rang. She pulled it out and nearly slammed the button to hang up on whoever the fuck- but it was Taako.

“Hey, Koko, what’s up?”

“Lulu, Bones just dropped off a new box of toys for you. Ghost shit.” 

He was quiet for a second. Just long enough for Lup to worry.

“What’s up, Taako?”

“Someone cleared the drive. The whole fucking thing. Not just this case or whatever. Everything. Krav’s pissed and Julia is trying to get IT to see if they’ve got a back-up but...”

Lup couldn’t help it, she laughed a little.

“I’ve got back-ups of most of it on my computer. Just... Taako, can you come meet me? I’m almost home but like, I’ve had a real shit night and I don’t really want to walk the rest of the way alone, you know?”

Taako caught the shaky tones in her voice and Lup could hear him grabbing his keys.

“The fuck happened?”

“Nothing... nothing bad, okay?”

“Mmmmmm don’t believe you, Lulu.”

She heard the door close behind him and the sound of him running down the stairs.

“Just another day in the physics department.”

“What did Lucas do  _ this time _ ? I’ll fucking kill him.”

She could hear his footsteps running towards her and hung up the phone. Taako looked worried, scared even, as he ran towards her.

“Taako, don’t... just don’t, okay? He was an ass. That’s it. I’ll deal with it.”

Taako didn’t say anything, but he was looking her over with his mouth pursed like he always did when he thought she was lying but wasn’t completely sure. After a moment, she sighed and reached for his hand like when they were kids.

“Let’s go home, Koko.”

* * *

Barry watched Lup go and smiled. His grin faded as Lucas picked up the meter from where it had been left on the steps.

“Hallwinter, that’s you, isn’t it? Well, we’ll see about that.”


	7. The Investigation - Day 2

The box of new ghost hunting tools was sitting on the kitchen table when Lup and Taako got home, but they both ignored it. Taako flung his keys into the little basket by the door on his way by.  
  
“You can still fucking report him, Lup. That’s coercion or blackmail or some shit.”  
  
Lup exhaled and put her flashlight down on the table.  
  
“I said I’ll deal with it, Koko. Now just drop it.”  
  
Taako shook his head and went towards his room.  
  
“Whatever, Lulu. But you know it’s only going to get worse. Lucas is just like-”  
  
He stopped in the middle of his sentence, one hand on the doorframe of his room, and Lup winced. She knew what he was going to say. She knew exactly who he was talking about.  
  
“I’ll be careful, Koko. Promise.”  
  
Taako didn’t respond. He just walked into his room and shut the door. Lup sat at the table and put her head in her hands. Yeah, today had been pretty fucking awful. She looked at her phone then and saw the recordings still open. A small smile tugged at her lips. Alright, maybe not entirely awful. She had a friend who was a ghost and that was pretty lit. Taking a breath, she reached for the box that had Kravitz’s mailbox number stamped on the outside and popped it open.  
  
_“Hey, that tickles!”_  
  
Lup nearly dropped the box as the teddy bear in it started talking.  
  
“Fuck!” She caught it and set the box back down on the table. “Shit, Krav really did order the creepy ass bear. Asshole could’ve warned me.”  
  
She set a few other things on the table. Laser grid projector, awesome. A set of motion detectors. Sweet. A new laser thermometer. Good, maybe Taako had finally fessed up that he’d lost the last one after he swiped it to make caramels. The last package in the box said Ghost Box on the outside. She skimmed the description on that one. Radio frequency scanner blah blah blah lets ghosts talk something something technobabble.  
  
“So, it’s a microphone for ghosts. Cool cool. Why don’t they just call it that?”  
  
Packing it all back up, she slapped some tape on the box. She’d have to bring it up to campus tomorrow for their next investigation. Time to go finish up her homework and then figure out what the hell she was going to do about lab section tomorrow.

* * *

 Lup took her seat and loaded up her project files. Immediately an array of numbers appeared on the screen, side by side with lines of code. She flipped her notebook open and pushed play on her music. Today’s assignment was pretty easy. Just some parabolic trajectory simulations. Nothing she couldn’t calculate in her sleep at this point. She felt someone leaning on her chair and turned to see Maureen Miller smiling at her. She popped her headphones off and returned the smile.  
  
“So, how’s your code going, Lup?”  
  
Lup gave her a thumbs up.  
  
“It’s going great, Professor. Just need to set my variables and run the sim.”  
  
Maureen nodded and skimmed Lup’s notes quickly.  
  
“Perfect.” Then she hesitated and Lup tensed. “I do have one question, and you’re not in trouble, Lup, but were you here last night?”  
  
Lup silently cursed Lucas Miller up and down.  
  
“Yeah, I was doing a solo investigation. Ghost club.”  
  
She hoped her tone sounded normal, calm, not like she was screaming on the inside.  
  
“That explains everything!” Maureen smiled brightly. “You left one of your tools behind and Lucas left it with me. It’s on my desk. Come by after lab and you can get it.”  
  
Maureen took one last look at Lup’s console and walked off. Lup slumped down in the seat. Fuck Lucas. Fuck Lucas Miller in particularly. Taking a deep breath, she tried to focus on her class work over the insistent drumming of her heart. After class. She would deal with it after class.

* * *

 The team split up again and this time, Kravitz had set Magnus up in Lab A.  
  
“The idea here is to see if you can get the same sort of results that Lup has been getting. I’ve got a camera on you and if you need help, just radio. Alright?”  
  
Magnus nodded, a grin on his face.  
  
“Yeah, I’ve totally got this, Krav. No problem. Gonna catch those ghosts. It’s gonna be great.”  
  
A few minutes later, Magnus was sitting on the floor with his knees pulled up to his chest and with the teddy bear sitting opposite him. The room around him was dark and he only had a single flashlight that he held tightly.  
  
"So uh...if...if...if you're here, could you just maybe...touch the bear?"  
  
He felt cold and then the weight of a hand settled onto his shoulder. Magnus Burnsides had never gotten to his feet that fast in his entire life. He turned and ran, charging back into the base camp where Kravitz was watching the monitors.  
  
"Magnus?"  
  
Magnus grabbed Kravitz by the shoulders, a desperate look in his eyes.  
  
"Something touched me, Kravitz."  
  
Kravitz looked at Magnus, not really sure what to do. Then they both heard a sound from the room Magnus had just left. A recorded giggle and then.  
  
_" _Hey, that tickles!”__  
  
Magnus shrieked and Kravitz slapped a hand over his mouth.  
  
"That was Boo Buddy. Come on, we need to go investigate."  
  
Magnus looked like he was going to cry as Kravitz grabbed his arm and tugged him back into the room.  
  
“Are... are you sure we should? What if he’s angry?”  
  
Kravitz paused for just a moment in the doorway and sighed.  
  
“I’m with you and you’ll be fine. Honestly, Magnus.”  
  
Together they walked inside and Kravitz held up his voice recorder.  
  
“We know you’re here. Are you Barry Hallwinter or are you someone else? How many spirits are present?”

* * *

 Barry was screaming. If he’d had a throat it would have been raw. The air was alive with an electric hum that threatened to rip him apart and he could feel it dancing in the hollows in him. He needed them to find the box. To turn the damn thing off. But they didn’t see it sitting on the desk in Maureen’s office like it was nothing. Just an innocuous black plastic project box.

* * *

 Lup walked into Professor Miller’s office and looked around. She’d been told to just grab the K2, so she didn’t need to worry for Maureen to actually be in. And there it was on the desk. She scooped it up and shoved it into the pocket of her jacket to go back and meet the rest of the team. Then she looked at the odd box it had been sitting on. Whatever it was, it was on. Weird.


	8. He Knows

Taako could feel the damn ladder under him swaying as he tried to tape a camera in place on top of one of the security lights in the main lecture hall.

“You know, cha’boy doesn’t much appreciate the looming specter of my own demise. Just thought I’d put that out there.”

Julia chuckled quietly and held the ladder more tightly.

“You’re fine, Taako. I’ve got the ladder nice and braced and you’re lighter than I am. You’re fine. Just don’t-“

Taako slapped the last piece of tape in place, cutting her off soundly.

“Don’t even fucking say ‘don’t look down’ because that ship sailed like an hour ago, homie.”

Julia laughed and Taako swore again with real feeling in it.

“Come on, we just have a few more cameras to get set up. Aren’t you curious to track down this ghost guy Lup’s been talking to?”

Task shrugged a little and then grabbed the ladder tightly again, regretting the movement.

“Don’t fucking talk to me until my feet are on the ground again. This is hell. This is... hazing!”

“Taako, you’re six feet off the ground on a ladder. You’re fine.”

Julia let go of the ladder as Taako made his way back down, glaring at her over his shoulder.

“You’re a sadist and I’m swapping partners with Magnus.”

* * *

The blinking box on the desk drew her attention to it and Lup picked it up, looking it over curiously. It didn’t look like anything she’d seen before. She flipped the off switch and watched the lights flicker and then go off. She started to put it back down when she heard something just behind her.

“So, you found it. Does that mean you’re talking to him?”

The door closed behind Lup and she turned around. Lucas Miller was standing between her and the now-closed door with his hand out.

“That’s mine. Return it.”

Lup held the box close to her chest, suddenly not sure she wanted this thing out of her sight.

“What is it?”

He smiled slowly.

“An experiment. I’m curious if it worked. Did he tell you to turn it off?”

She glared at him.

“What the fuck are you talking about? What _is_ this thing?”

Lucas paced in the small space between the door and the desk, his hands gesturing as he spoke.

“It’s a field disruptor. I calibrated this one to a specific etheric wavelength to see if it could disrupt the ghost. Now tell me, are you talking to him? I know you made contact. Did he tell you to come here? _Did Barry tell you to come here?_ ”

Lup stares at Lucas for a long moment, the full impact of his words crashing down around her. He knew. He knew and he had tried to hurt Barry. Holding the field disruptor tightly, she shoved him aside and threw the door open, running for the stairs. She had to get to the others.

* * *

The burning had stopped. Thank everything, the burning had stopped. Barry sunk to his knees on the floor in the lab, red sparks crackling around him as he slowly came back together. Kravitz was still there, talking to Taako now. No signs of the other one... Manus. Dammit, how long had he been fighting that thing? Then he saw a flash of gold as someone passed the open door. Lup. She was running. Taako turned, saying something in a confused tone. But Barry didn’t hear it, he was already running out into the hall to follow Lup. He heard the other set of footsteps then, slower and heavier. Turning, he saw Lucas Miller step out of Maureen’s office with a glare on his face.

“Oh _shit.”_

Barry turned and dove back into the classroom. His first thought was to get Lup’s brother. Taako could do something. Assuming Barry could get his attention, of course.

* * *

Taako felt something tug on his sleeve and turned, annoyance on his face. He was expecting another member of the team. Maybe Lup, fashionably late and deciding to be annoying. He turned, ready to snap something at her and realized he was staring at empty air.

“What the...?”

He looked around more, trying to figure out what had touched him. That hadn’t been his imagination. Taako was absolutely sure of that much. Imagination was not that physical. Then he heard footsteps in the hall and moved towards the door, wondering if maybe they were whoever had touched him. Instead, he saw Lucas Miller walking down the hallway with a sneer on his face. Okay, that’s how it was. He caught Kravitz’s attention and mouthed ‘find Lup’ before turning to give Lucas a big smile.

“Hey there, my dude. What’s got you in here this late?”

Time to play distraction.

* * *

Julia sat on the bottom step facing the door to the basement storage area and held up her EMF detector.

“Okay, Burnsides. Pop quiz time. EMF is?”

Magnus was standing off to one side, holding a camera and periodically snapping pictures. He said it quickly, a grin on his face.

“Electromagnetic frequency.”

Julia smiled up at him.

“And what do we use it for?”

Magnus took a breath, trying to remember.

“It’s... it measures energy and the idea is that ghosts produce that stuff, right?” He hesitated and then smiled. “But you have to be careful because so do electricity.”

Julia pulled another EMF detector out of her pocket and tossed it to him.

“Good job, Burnsides. Now you get one of your very own. Don’t lose it like Taako and the thermometer.”

They both turned then, hearing footsteps slamming down from the top floor. Magnus looked down at the EMF detector in his hand and held it up. Julia started to walk up the stairs and Lup nearly plowed into her.

“Guys, we have a Problem. Big big problem.” She shoved the box into Julia’s hands. “Also, we need to get rid of _that_.”

Julia shoved the box into an equipment bag.

“Radio the boys, Burnsides, rendezvous at my dorm. Lup, what the hell is going on?”

Lup took a deep breath.

“Lucas knows about Barry. _He called him Barry.”_

 


	9. Coffee and Ethics

The insistent beeping of the alarm clock on the nightstand woke Barry and he groaned expressively, blindly reaching to try and find his glasses. He heard them hit the floor and grunted as he leaned over the side of his bed to grab them. Jamming them onto his face, Barry finally reached to turn his alarm off. He fell back against the pillows, staring up at the glow-in-the-dark stars on his ceiling with a small smile on his face. Then he remembered what he was doing today and his smile grew. Tossing his blanket aside, his feet hit the floor and he grabbed his jeans from where he tossed them the day before. He had to have a clean shirt around here somewhere. He’d grab a coffee on the way up to campus. Grabbing his favorite red sweatshirt and his backpack, he ran out the door and let it slam behind him.

* * *

The coffee shop was small, but it was Barry’s favorite place to get breakfast. Even this early in the morning, the whole place smelled gloriously of freshly ground coffee and he knew from experience that it would taste just as good as it smelled. He walked up to the counter and gave Sloane a sleepy wave. She was already grabbing a mug.

“The usual, Bluejeans?”

He grinned at the nickname and nodded.

“Yeah, thanks. How’s Hurley?”

Sloane filled his mug from the carafe labeled ‘dark roast’ in her messy handwriting.

“Doing better. Her arm’s still in a cast but she’ll be back tomorrow.”

Steam was rising from the mug as she reached for the cream and sugar.

“You know, you uh... Neither of you ever said what happened. Just some cryptic shit about it being good she had a helmet?”

Now Sloane laughed and handed him his coffee.

“And that’s all you’re getting out of me. Ask her yourself.” Then she moved to the pastry case. “Did you want a croissant too or is today more of a berliner kind of day?”

“Croissant, thanks.”

Barry took a long sip of his coffee and sighed contentedly. As always, the flavor was rich and deep, a little like a dark chocolate. It was piping hot, just the way he liked it and it filled him with that same warmth. Sloane set a croissant on a plate and handed it over to him.

“You know the drill.”

He set the mug down and fumbled with his wallet for a moment, handing over the money.

“Thanks, Sloane. Tell Hurley I said I hope that she uh... that she gets better soon.”

“Will do, Bluejeans.”

He took his mug and the little plate off to the seat by the window and pulled out his notes. Might as well review them while he had breakfast. He needed to make sure his math was sound before he aligned the viewing system today, after all. Then he remembered the other folder in his backpack and took that out. ‘Miller, L.’ The stark words were written across the front and he winced looking at them. Part of him wished he’d never seen this, never found out what Lucas was up to. At the same time, he knew it was a good thing that  _ someone _ was reporting him. Academic integrity, ethics, that sort of thing was important. He just wished that it wasn’t him doing the reporting and that the Professor he had to make the report to wasn’t Lucas’ mother.

* * *

Barry dropped his backpack just inside the lab door and went to grab the safety goggles from where he’d left them in his cubby. A small radio was sitting on the table, playing music from one of those uplifting morning stations. He shook his head a little and looked around. If that was playing, then Lucas must already be here. Not seeing the undergrad immediately, Barry picked up his gloves and grabbed his toolbox. It was time to get to work. Ducking his head, he climbed into the machine and opened the panel on the inside. It wouldn’t take too long to calibrate. Maybe he would even have it done by the time Maureen got here. He sure hoped so, because all hell was going to break loose when his advisor finally arrived.

* * *

Lucas Miller watched in silence as Barry Hallwinter walked into the lab. Slowly, his hands tightened into fists at his sides.

_ “I’ll teach you to put my career in jeopardy, Hallwinter _ ...”

The words were a bare whisper, a growl that couldn’t be heard where Barry was working. Lucas looked down at the control console in front of him. Then he flipped the cover up and slammed the power button as hard as he could. 


	10. A Change of Plans

Kravitz nodded slightly as he passed Taako and Lucas. He didn’t understand, but he assumed someone would explain eventually. A shadow crossed his vision and he faltered for just a moment. It had looked like... No, he was just seeing things because he was stressed. He had not just seen a ghost in jeans. Walking towards the stairs, Kravitz saw Lup as she turned to run down into the basement alcove. He frowned slightly. That was a dead end. What was going on?

But then Lup, Magnus, and Julia all walked up the stairs together with one of the gear bags. He held the door for them and grabbed Lup’s arm to stop her.

“What’s going on? Taako’s got Lucas distracted, but-“

“It’s a long story and I need you to trust me. Stay with Taako and make sure all our gear gets out okay?”

Kravitz searches her face for a long moment and then nodded.

“You better explain this later.”

* * *

Julia unlocked the door to her dorm and let the others head in first. Lup dropped hard onto the bed, her head in her hands. Magnus and Julia followed her in, looking uncertain.  
"Lup, what-?"  
"Lucas knows that Barry is in the physics building and he's... I don't even know. Experimenting on him?"

Julia and Magnus looked at each other and then Magnus sat next to Lup.

“Try from the beginning?”

Lup opened her mouth and then closed it again. Julia grabbed a soda from her mini fridge and tossed it to Lup who caught it. Then she tossed one to Magnus.

“If you don’t know the beginning,” said Julia, as she popped the top on her own can. “Give us what you’ve got. As much detail as possible.”

Lup took a sip and then nodded.

“Okay, it’s like this...”

* * *

Barry had stayed close to Taako until the other one... Kravitz? That was right. Until Kravitz has come back for him. Once the pair of them were busily cleaning up the equipment, he had gone back up to Professor Miller’s office. What if the device was still here? What if Lucas just turned it back on? The desk was empty. No little plastic box. Lup had taken it. Lup had _taken it._ Barry laughed, a huge smile on his face. Sure, Lucas could build another one, but he was alright for a while at least.

He turned around and saw Lucas walk into the office. One look at his face and Barry darted out past him. Barry had seen that kind of fury once before on Lucas Miller’s face. Lup wasn’t safe. He headed past the others and ran down the stairs, trying to find her again. Some of the bags were gone and so was she, so was most of the group. Only Taako and Kravitz were left in the building. Barry smiled to himself and headed for the stairs. Time to make sure Taako and Kravitz were okay while they cleaned up.

* * *

Lup finished her story and stretched and Julia frowned slightly.

“So that’s what we’ve got? It’s... not a lot to go on?”

Lup looked at the others, suddenly uncertain. Then she sighed.

“Shit, I don’t know, Jules. I just... it doesn’t seem right? I get that the poor guy is dead but like...”

Magnus raised his hand very slowly and they both turned to look at him.

“Spill, Burnsides.”

He took a breath.

“Okay, so he’s basically in a habit that’s not safe, right? What if we did like a spooky catch-and-release? We could put him somewhere else where Miller would leave him alone.”

Julia’s eyes lit up with excitement and Lup grabbed Magnus by the arm.

“Oh hell yeah!”

“We’ll have to figure out how but...”

It was something that hadn’t had before, a plan. Lup got to her feet.

“Lemme call Taako and then I think it’s library time. Maggie, can you take point on finding a spooky trap method? I’m gonna go see if I can’t find the nerd’s thesis. Even if he never turned the final thing in, there should be drafts on record or experiment progress or something.”

Julia nodded.

“And I’ll work with Magnus. More eyes is better. Tell Taako to have him and Kravitz hit up those occult sites Krav’s always yelling about. One of them might just be useful this time.”

Lup laughed as she stood.

“Fuck, can you imagine the look on his face?”

Julia was trying not to laugh. Then she adjusted her stance, crossing her arms over her chest in clear mimicry of Kravitz.

“I _can’t believe_ that you people are honestly considering using _necromancy_ . What’s next? _Anarchy_? Murder?! Wearing white after Labor Day?”

Lup slung her backpack over her shoulders.

“Got him in one.”

Magnus got up then as Lup pulled out her phone.

“Pick up... come on... Hey, Koko. Change of plans. We’ll explain at the library, but I’ve got a research project for you and Kravitz.”

After a moment, Lup grinned.

“Thanks. I mean it. And I’ll see you there.”

She hung up and shoved her phone back in her pocket. Julia held the door open.

“We good?”

“Hell yeah, research time.”

 


	11. Who You Gonna Call?

Julia dropped a stack of books on the table, opening the first one at random. Magnus grabbed the next and sat beside her, flipping through it. She had to admit that she liked him quite a bit more than she thought she would, especially in the beginning. But he really was as advertised: a soft jock. He was sweet and gentle and could probably bench a car. A smile crossed her face and he leaned closer, looking at the book in front of her with his usual affable grin.

“Find something?”

She skimmed the page and shook her head.

“Not yet, Burnsides.”

After some time with both of them quietly researching, she looked up again. He had his head on his hand as he flipped through the book, a little frown on focus on his face. Fuck. He was cute. She needed to focus. Okay, here was a theory about crystal resonance. Mark that with a sticky note. He shifted a little, moving slightly closer to her. Julia Waxmen didn’t know what to do. He was cute, kind, buff, gentle, basically everything she could want. And they were already friends. Slowly, trying to seem relaxed, she turned to look at him again.

“Hey Magnus, grab a coffee with me tomorrow after class.”

He looked at her, head tilted to the side slightly.

“For like... more research?”

Julia shook her head.

“As a date.”

His eyes lit up and Julia felt a blush coloring her cheeks. Magnus was smiling like an absolute idiot and she was smitten.

“That sounds great. I mean. I’d love that. The Raven and The Ram?”

Julia laughed.

“Where else? It’s the only decent coffee around.”

* * *

Lup walked between the high shelves, skimming the numbers as she looked for the one written on a scrap of paper in her hand. HAL5772125-47. It should be here somewhere. Then she spotted the letters of the code on one of the black bound lab notebooks they used in the physics department. Pulling it down, she smiled at the cover. In somewhat messy blue ink, it read _“Barry Hallwinter - An Exploration into Extraplanar Viewing and Locally-Based Energy Field Phenomena - Advisor: Maureen Miller”_.

“What the hell were you getting into, Bear?”

She looked for the rest of his notes and grabbed the box. It looked like she was going to have a lot of reading to do.

Lup set the box on the table beside Julia and Magnus’ stack of books and started going through it. There were more notebooks, pages of measurements, and a photo album with Professor Miller’s tidy handwriting across the front. “ _Barry Hallwinter - thesis - Development and Construction.”_ Smiling, Lup flipped that open and started to go through it. There he was with a red hoodie on and a smile on his face in one, standing with an arm around Lucas’ shoulders with a wrench in his hand and grease on his face in another. There were dozens upon dozens of pictures in here, mostly of the machine and the two boys working on it. Setting that back in the box, she buckled down to focus on the notes. There had to be something in here she could use.

* * *

Several hours, three sodas, and a sheet of notes later, Lup looked up at the others.

“I think I’ve got something. What about you guys?”

Magnus handed over a sheet of his own.

“A couple ideas involving crystals as an energy resonance device. I wonder if anyone’s considered using capacitance.”

Julia grinned at him and then held out her own notes.

“Some historical notes, mostly. I found a lot of old folklore but I don’t know that it’s going to do us a ton unless you can get your spooky friend to form an attachment on his own and follow you home.”

Lup laughed and neatened up her notes. She scooped them all up along with the box, only then realizing she meant to take it home. Julia looked at her oddly when she stopped but Lup shook her head. She was good. Everything was fine.

“I just need to check this out. Gonna do a little more reading tonight, you know?”

Julia’s concern turned into a grin.

“You’re a fucking nerd, Lup. See you tomorrow.”

Lup shoved her lightly.

“Yeah, and you’re a jerd. A jock nerd.”

Julia laughed and slung her backpack on.

“That’s us. A nerd, a jerd, and Soft Jock Burnsides.”

Magnus blushed a little.

“You’re really never gonna let that die, are you?”

Julia reached for his hand, a little blush on her cheeks.

“I think it’s cute. So no.”

* * *

Kravitz leaned against Taako, flipping through websites on his tablet.

“I really don’t know what she’s expecting. Most of these websites are about removing a spirit completely. Passing them on into the light.”

Taako shrugged, playing with his phone.

“Spooky catch and release, my dude. For all I know, she thinks we need a spectral roomie.”

Kravitz laughed and kissed Taako’s cheek.

“You’d better hope not.” Then he paused. “This one might work. Item possession. You would just need to relocate the object.”

Taako grinned.

“Oh Hell yeah! Haunted Doll Watch!”

Kravitz made a note and then looked over at what Taako was doing.

“Are you playing a game? Aren’t you supposed to be helping me?”

Taako turned and kissed Kravitz, just a quick peck on the lips.

“Relax, Bones. Cha’boy’s just gotta beat the gym and I’ll be back on that grind. Promise.”

Kravitz frowned slightly more and leaned in.

“Is that-?”

“What’d I say, my man? Two minutes, tops.”

Kravitz sighed and leaned against Taako again.

“If you say so, Taako.”

* * *

Lup spread her notes out on her desk and leaned her tablet against the wall. The first notes of the movie’s theme came on while she reached for her pencil. A plan was forming in her mind and she was pretty sure she could build it. A magnetized crystal core housed inside a box that she could open and close quickly with a faraday cage surrounding it for that good good skin effect. Then it would need a power source that was mobile and a remote activation method. Not that she didn’t trust Barry, but just in case she ever wanted to use it again. The sketch expanded and grew, calculations filling the page next to it.

“Gonna have to ask Bear if he can double check my notes... I don’t want to goof these calculations and go like full protonic reversal on my own ass.”

She skimmed his notes again, taking an odd comfort in row after row of careful calculations. His handwriting was awful everywhere else, but it was like he knew this math would be the more important part and made sure she could read it. Which was ridiculous, but it was nice to imagine.

“Okay, pretty sure I can build the housing for this. I just need to hold off on the actual containment until like... I’m sure on my math.”

Lup jammed a pair of goggles on and reached for a plastic project box to start working on the closure mechanism. Her door opened and Taako dropped a pocket notebook in front of her.

“The fuck are you doing, Lulu?”

She pointed a soldering iron at him, a grin on her face.

“Back off, I’m a scientist.”

Rolling his eyes, Taako walked out of the room.

“A nerd is what you are. I’m gonna throw together some dinner. When you’re done playing Ghostbuster, come eat.”

Lup leaned back in her chair, turning to yell at him.

“Close the door, Taako!”  
  
She heard him grabbing a pot out of the cabinet.

“Close it yourself!”

She set her soldering iron down on the stand and stood to go close her bedroom door. She would read through Kravitz’s notes and make sure he hadn’t found anything worth adding. Then dinner... Then she would head up to campus. With any luck, the building would be empty and she could have a little chat. It was time to see if the ghost box worked as advertised.


	12. A Real Conversation

Lup set the little device known as a Ghost Box on the table in Lab A and listened to the static for a long moment. Then she looked around. Assuming this thing worked as advertised, she should be able to hear Barry and any other ghosts who might be hanging around. After a moment, she took a breath.

“Hey Barry, you around?”

After a moment, she heard a tap like a footstep somewhere near and a voice from the device.

“Don’t you need your recorder?”

Lup’s eyes widened and she grinned excitedly.

“Not anymore, my dude. I can hear you loud and clear. How’s this thing work for you?”

The Ghost Box slid an inch or so across the surface of the table, seemingly by itself. Then she heard a quiet laugh.

“Using radio white noise to manifest sound waves, right? That’s... that’s genius. And you can hear everything that uh... that I’m saying?”

Lup nodded excitedly.

“I mean, I think so.” Then she reached into the duffel bag she’d left on the floor beside her. “I’ve got a few new toys if you’re down for a little science, my guy.”

She set a small device on the lab bench and moved to plug it in.

“A Tesla coil?”

He sounded confused and almost a little worried, those notes tugging at her. She turned around, not flipping the switch yet.

“I was reading through... Well, honestly, your thesis notes. And based on some of your calculations into like... energy manipulation and visualization models, I thought that if I gave you that good good juice hookup, maybe you could manifest. Like, be visible and all that.”

Barry went quiet for a moment and then she heard the workbench shift slightly as though someone had leaned on it or pushed it maybe. When he spoke, she could just about hear the smile in his tone.

“You were reading my thesis notes?”

She laughed and then turned to flip the switch. A low buzz filled the room for a moment just before the coil began to give off sparks. She watched for a moment before they began to spark up off the dome instead of jumping to the second metal ball that was part of this small coil. It was like an outline began to take shape first, like the shadow of a person in the air. Then pale colors filled in like splashes of watercolor before the whole image was complete. A young man in his late twenties sat on the lab bench in a red hoodie, white t-shirt, and jeans. He had messy curls and glasses that he adjusted as he reached away from the coil. He smiled right at her and Lup’s heart skipped a beat. He looked just like the pictures she’d found. 

“Did it work?”

It was odd seeing his mouth move and then hearing a tinny echo of his voice come from the device sitting beside him. She was still staring at him, trying to pull her words back together. Then she nodded.

“Yeah, natch. Working like a dream, homie.”

She tried to keep her voice casual and just hoped he wouldn’t notice. His smile grew and she felt a hot blush rising to her cheeks. Now was absolutely not the time. Grabbing her backpack, she dug out her notes. 

“So, now that we can have an actual convo, my spooky dude, I’ve got a plan to get you away from Lucas. Assuming you’re down to be relocated and assuming my math is good.”

She spread the notes out across the workbench and he slid off it, standing beside her to examine them. With a little frown of concentration, he went through every single line.

“Wow, you uh... you really did read my thesis. This is good stuff. I like this extrapolation here and... and the uh... the design is solid.” He laughed then, looking at her sketches. “Is this a containment device? Are you busting me, Venkman?”

Lup snorted.

“More like Holtzmann.”

Barry looked at her perplexed.

“What?”

She flipped through her notes, trying to find the most important parts.

“They remade it like two years ago. If we get you relocate, you can watch it at my place.”

Barry shook his head and leaned in to check the last few lines of equations.

“You can’t remake a classic.” He pointed at the page. “I’m not sure about your math right here. Have you got a calculator handy?”

Lup pulled out her calculator and started rerunning the numbers while Barry watched.

“It lives up, my dude. I promise. You’ll love it.”

“We’ll see about that.” He nodded at the final number. “Okay, cool. It looks good then.” Then he paused, looking at her uncertainly. “Where are you uh... planning on taking me?”

Lup hesitates for a second.

“Well, I mean, I didn’t really uh... My place. Well, the apartment I share with my brother.”

Barry looked surprised and flickered out of sight. Lup stared at the spot where he’d been standing and then started laughing.

“Well, that’s a new one. Can’t say I’ve ever had anyone go invisible when I invited them back to my place before.”

“I didn’t... I mean... That wasn’t uh... On purpose? I uh... I think I need more uh...” He flickered back into view then, his hand over the Tesla coil with electricity shooting into him. “You know, this kinda tickles.”

Lup smiled at him, feeling the heat rising in her cheeks again. Gods, it wasn’t fair. The one guy in the whole world that she was actually into and he was already dead. Sometimes, life could be a fucking bitch.

“So, does that mean you’re down to be my new roomie? I just need a day to get this thing built and we can move you right on in.”

Barry laughed and then nodded.

“Yeah, that sounds good. I could use to uh... to get out of here. And maybe Lucas will leave me alone that way.” Then he stopped. “But he won’t leave you alone, will he?”

Lup winced at the question.

“I’ll deal with that. I’ve been dealing with that. It’s cool. Promise.” Bundling the designs back up, she shoved it all back into her backpack. “Tomorrow, I promise. As soon as class is over, I’ll come get you, Bear.”

Lup flicked the Tesla coil off, starting to pack things back up so she could go home. She left the Ghost Box for last and her blush shot all the way up her ears when she heard his quiet voice.

“Bear, huh? I uh... I’ve never had that nickname before. I kind of like it though.”


	13. Back Soon

With the crystal in place and wired in, Lup was sure everything was ready. Taako took a long sip from his iced coffee and followed behind her as she headed up to the physics building with her project in her arms.

“I told you you didn’t need to come if you don’t want to, Taako.”

He shrugged and took another long sip, the sound echoing in the quiet street.

“And cha’boy doesn’t trust that Miller kid. Especially not after hours. Let me play protective brother for literally once in my life, Lulu.”

Lup snorted and adjusted her grip on the box she held.

“Says the guy I had to save from a seagull when we were five.”

Taako threw a balled up napkin at the back of her head. It bounced off and she turned to look back over her shoulder.

“You swore never to speak of that!”

Taako did his best to look offended behind a pair of pink sunglasses gesturing angrily with an iced coffee and a cell phone. Lup just started laughing.

* * *

When they arrived at the physics building, it was already empty of students and teachers. Taako leaned against the wall outside the room with a little wave as Lup shoved the door to Lab A open and set the box on the ground before stretching.

“Hey Bear, I hope you’re in here because cha’girl did it. That’s a fully operational Barry relocation device right there.”

She felt a hand settle on her shoulder and grinned.

“Ready to go?”

Bending down, she flipped the switch to open the top of the device. Inside sat a chunk of quartz crystal with a length of copper wire wrapped around it and connected to a set of batteries she’d wired in parallel along the outside. They heard a tap like someone knocking on the table and she nodded, flipping another switch. A little white status light lit up on the outside of the device and she looked up.

“Whenever you’re ready, Barry. I’ll know when you’re good.”

There was nothing and then... and then the light turned a bright green. Lup closed the top and scooped the device up in her arms again.

“See, Taako, we’re all good.”

She walked back outside and showed him the device. He rolled his eyes and adjusted his sunglasses.

“If you’re all done playing with the Staypuft Marshmallow Man, can we go home?”

Lup shoved Taako lightly.

“Come on, nerd.”

He threw his arms in the air.

“I’m only a nerd because you infected me with your nerddom, Lulu!”

* * *

Lup set the containment device down on the floor of her room and pushed the button on the side. Then she set a K2 meter on the floor beside it.

“Still good, Barold?”

For a long moment, far longer than Lup liked, there was nothing. Then the lights burst on and she laughed aloud. They’d done it. They’d really done it. 

“Hell yeah, my dude. Welcome to Chez Lup, population you, me, and Taako.” She dropped onto her bed and grinned. “I’ll run the Ghost Box for you while I’m here and you can do whatever. Chill, I guess. Unless you can figure out how to possess my Netflix.”

The K2 lit up again and she laughed. She could almost picture the goofy little smile on his face. Gods, she was hopeless. Turning away in an effort to force those emotions back down, she pulled the Ghost Box back out and set it on her desk. She flicked it on and sat, pulling a notebook out.

“I’m gonna do my homework. Let me know if you like... want me to turn the tv on or something?”

She heard the floorboards creak just behind her.

“Thanks, Lup.”

She looked down, trying not to smile. It wasn’t fair.

“No worries, my dude. I always wanted a spooky roommate.”

* * *

A few weeks later, Lup stuck her head into her room. She had her backpack slung over her shoulder already.

“Barry, I’m headed to lab. See you later.”

Barry was sitting on the bed, not that she could see him. He looked up and smiled. Then he checked to see if the Ghost Box was running before answering.

“See you tonight, Lup.”

She grabbed her keys and left a quick note before heading up to campus. She might be a little late, after all. Lab had been running over lately with all the work she had to get done.

* * *

The final numbers in the simulation were running now and Lup was grinning as she watched. She stretched and pulled her headphones off, only then realizing how quiet the lab was. With a quick glance around, she realized everyone else had already gone. She hit save on her work and drummed her fingers on the table, waiting for it to confirm. She grabbed her backpack and turned, checking the time on her phone. There was a text from Taako about what he was making for dinner. She grinned as she walked out of the room. She walked right into someone as she turned the corner and looked up to apologize, an embarrassed smile on her lips. Then Lucas Miller grabbed her shoulders.

“It worked, didn’t it? My plan. The ghost is gone.”

Lup shook him off and took a step back. As she did, she opened the recording app on her phone and pressed record as she jammed it into her pocket.

“What are you talking about?”

He took a step towards her.

“Hallwinter. The ghost. He’s gone. I finally got rid of him. I thought this one had to work. The calculations... It should have ripped him into tiny pieces of aether.”

Lup gaped at him, going cold. He reached towards her again and she swatted his hand away.

“What is your  _ problem _ ? And why are you so sure you know who the ghost is?”

Lucas eyed her for a long moment, then he smiled slowly.

“Simple deduction. Elementary reasoning. Honestly, aren’t you supposed to be the clever twin?”

She bristled at the insult to Taako, but crammed down the urge to snap back. Not now. Not when she was alone with Lucas and there was no obvious means of escape. 

“Show your proof, Miller.”

She snapped the phrase she’d heard so many time in her classes and he laughed.

“You really want to know? Fine then. What do you know about what he was studying? About the device he built with my mother and I?”

Lup kept tight lipped, hoping he wouldn’t realize just how much she knew.

“He was playing with death. With the forces beyond this world. Messing with the Astral Plane, even. It was brilliant, really. And it was an honor to work on it. And he was going to take all of that away from me. He was going to take everything from me.” He paused, seeing the dawning horror on her face. “So you see, I couldn’t have him around. What if he figured out how to tell someone what happened? That I was the one who pushed the button. And he’s not coming back now. He’s so much dust in the wind.”

Lup’s Heart was pounding. If she had just understood him correctly, he’d just admitted to... to...

“What do you mean ‘pushed the button’?”

Lucas turned away and Lup pulled her phone out a little, making sure it was recording. She saw the reassuring little light blinking at her and relaxed just slightly. 

“Exactly what it sounds like. The idiot was doing system maintenance without making sure the power was locked down first. All I had to do was push the on button and the machine did the rest.”

That was when he turned around and saw her phone in her hand.

“What are you doing?”

He snapped the words, moving towards her and grabbing for her phone.

“Nothing! It’s nothing.”

Lup hit stop as fast as she could, praying the auto backup meant that confession would be somewhere Lucas couldn’t touch it before he got his hands on her phone. He grabbed her wrist, trying to make her drop her phone, fury in his eyes.

“Were you  _ recording me? _ ”

Lup wrenched out of his grip, trying to move around him. Her phone fell as she hit the stairs, screen shattering as it hit the floor. She could hear him hard on her heels as she headed for the door. He grabbed her arm again and pulled her back before she could get to the door. Then he shoved her towards the basement door.

“Do you want to know what happened to Barry Hallwinter? How about I show you?”

She stumbled down the basement stairs, knocked off balance as he shoved her again. Lup fell to the basement landing, her ankle suddenly throbbing with pain. There was no way it would support her weight let alone get her home. Lucas fiddled with the basement door for a moment and then pulled her to her feet. He dragged her into the basement and shoved her towards a metal behemoth of a machine with a circular opening in the front large enough for a person to stand in. This was it, the designs she’d seen scribbled in Barry’s notes. This was his viewing apparatus. This was what had killed him.

“It would be so easy to kill you if I wanted to. Just throw you in the machine and flip the switch. Just like I did to your precious Barry. It didn’t even leave a body behind.”

He flipped the lock on the door, trapping them both there in the dark.

* * *

Taako was humming to himself as he went about making dinner. He had his phone propped up on the counter where it could record and he was talking cheerfully.

“So, next up, we’re gonna get some of that grease off the beef. Natch. Just drain that bitch. But not too much. You’re gonna need some of that good good flavor if you want the seasonings to really punch.”

Barry was sitting at the table, watching curiously. He loved watching Taako’s weekly cooking show. It was always so interesting, colorful even. At the same time, it was getting late. Barry looked up at the clock again and frowned. It was already almost midnight. When had that happened? 

“Mix those bad boys in. We’re gonna get some real flavors going. Simmer that down and you’ve got yourself the perfect midnight snack. You can put this good shit on nachos, in a tortilla, whatever you want.”

Taako gave the ground beef a little stir and then grinned at the camera.

“That’s gonna be this week’s episode. If you liked it, be sure to hit that like button and subscribe for more Sizzle It Up with Taako goodness. Until then, cha’boy is out.”

He reached to turn the stream off and stretched.

“Hey Barold, you in?”

Barry tapped on the table. One for yes.

“Rad. Well, I’m thinking about watching a movie until Lup gets home and-“

Two knocks.

Taako turned around, hands on his hips.

“Not feeling movie night with cha’boy?”

Taako stepped into Lup’s room and hit the on button on the Ghost Box. Barry had already gotten up and was a step behind him.

“It’s almost midnight. Doesn’t her lab get out at seven?”

Taako opened his mouth and then closed it again. He went to the whiteboard they kept on the side of the fridge. There was Lup’s schedule. Lab from five to seven and... a note under it. 

“Might be a little later than that but not more than an hour. Back soon.”


	14. Alive

Taako grabbed his keys, already dialing Kravitz’s number. He could feel something cold settling around him and he hoped like hell that that feeling was Barry. 

“Taako?”

Kravitz sounded confused and maybe a little tired, but then it was midnight and Kravitz was notorious for actually going to bed at a reasonable hour.

“Krav, we’ve got a bit of a sitch. I don’t suppose you’ve seen my sister anywhere around in like...the last several hours?”

Taako was already headed up the street towards campus even as he heard Kravitz’s response.

“No? Taako, is everything alright? Where are you?”

Taako had picked up his pace to a jog.

“Headed up to campus, homie. Lup never came home.”

“Did you try her phone?”

Taako bit back the sarcastic response that leapt to the forefront first. Swallowing that urge, he heard the worry in his boyfriend’s voice.

“Straight to voicemail. And she’s not even reading my texts. Cha’boy tried.”

He heard something shift and then a sound like a closet opening.

“Where was she supposed to be?”

“Physics lab, my guy. She had class.”

There was a pause and the sound of fabric.

“I’ll meet you there. Are you calling the others?”

Taako rounded the corner, seeing the academic buildings coming into view now.

“Yeah. I’m hoping she’s just having a good time and we’re all gonna laugh about paranoid Taako and his crazy ideas later.” Taako paused, trying to relax or at least look it. “See you soon, babe.”

* * *

Kravitz was waiting on the steps when Taako arrived and a moment later, Julia and Magnus ran up. Julia shook her head when she saw Taako.

“Luce hasn’t seen her either. And I checked with Avi since they’re in the same lab section and he said Lup was still in the lab when he left.”

Taako nodded, shoving his hands in the pockets of his jacket. Magnus was already headed for the door of the building.

“Let’s go.” 

He pushed the door open and looked back at them for a moment before rushing in. Taako hesitated for just a moment before following. Julia and Kravitz took up the rear. 

The building was dark and quiet, with even the motion sensing lights turned off. Julia looked around the foyer for a moment before looking at the rest of the group.

“Let’s split up, gang.”

Taako turned towards the stairs to the second floor where the computer lab was and ran up, taking two steps at a time. He wanted to burst into the lab and find Lup sitting there. And she would tease him for being worried and he would tease her for losing track of time doing nerd shit again and neither of them would talk about the fear in the back of Taako’s mind that this was like when they were ten all over again and someone was going to rip them apart. 

He pushed the door to the lab open and looked around. None of the computers were on. There was nothing here, nothing to betray that Lup had been here. Nothing to show where she was now.

Kravitz walked the same corridor, checking doors and looking around. He didn’t want to say the place looked deserted. Not with the look in Taako’s eyes. 

Magnus and Julia walked the first floor, doing the short loop back to the main foyer. That was when Julia spotted the broken phone on the ground. It was near the stairs down to the basement and it was Lup’s. She held it up for Magnus to see.

“That’s not good...”

He muttered it, suddenly keeping his voice low. They both looked at the basement door, knowing it was always locked. Julia crept down and tried the knob. Just as locked as always. She started to turn away when she heard a thud from inside. She pointed at the door and mouthed two words up at Magnus: call Carey.

He nodded and slipped outside, pulling his phone out of his back pocket.

“S’up, Mags?”

Magnus took a breath.

“I need you to come break into school property.”

There was a long moment of silence and then Carey started laughing.

“Oh hell yeah! Just tell me where, bud.”

“Physics building. And tell Killian I said hi.”

He heard the thud of something landing on a table.

“Will do. See you in like fifteen.”

* * *

Taako waited tensely, trying not to pace, while Carey worked at the lock. Suddenly it popped and the door swung open. Just inside was the storage they’d been expecting, but a bit beyond that was a huge metal device. It looked almost like huge metal arch covered in light. A control panel stood in front of it with Lucas Miller standing at the controls. Lup was on her knees under the arch. She looked up when the door opened and tried to stand, but her right ankle wouldn’t take her weight. She fell back down with an involuntary whimper. Taako felt a cold white fury building in him. He could see from here that she had a split lip and blood on her knuckles. Then Lucas turned around.

“So, the Scooby Gang arrives.”

Magnus growled and took a step into the room, ready to charge Lucas but the grad student smiled slowly and moved his hand closer to a red button under a plexiglass cover. Taako met Lup’s eyes and she nodded once. She was more or less okay and she was ready if he had a plan. He looked around, trying to think fast. Lucas Miller was monologuing, all his focus on Magnus and Julia. He thought they were the threat. Good. Then Taako felt a tap on his shoulder. He glanced back expecting Kravitz but realized Kravitz was on his other side. Barry was here, silent and invisible. Perfect.

* * *

Lup was trying to get to her feet again as Barry ran to try and help. There wasn’t much he could do and he was scared. She had managed to shakily get up now and Lucas had flipped the cover up.

“Don’t make me do anything...hasty.”

Barry looked over and saw Taako shift just slightly. Then he shoved Lup forward, putting every ounce of energy he had into it. Several things happened at once then. Taako put on a sudden burst of speed and slammed into Lucas, knocking him to the ground. Lucas barely managed to slam the button on the console as he fell. And Lup fell forward, rolling clear of the machine just before it powered on. Electricity hummed in it and arched back and forth. Barry was screaming as it landed through him and then he fell to his knees before slumping forward.

“Barry? Holy shit! Barry!”

He heard Lup’s voice shouting as his world faded to black.

* * *

Magnus ran forward, trying to figure out the console while Julia went to help Lup. Kravitz has grabbed Lucas’ arms, helping Taako hold him down. Then Taako pulled back and punched Lucas as hard as he could.

“Don’t you fucking dare! Don’t you fucking even!”

Julia got an arm around Lup and helped her to her feet but then they both stood there, staring into the still-sparking machine where a figure lay on the ground in a red sweatshirt, white t-shirt, and a pair of blue jeans.

“Mags, cut the power!”

Magnus stares at the console for another moment before just grabbing the power cord and ripping it out of the wall. Slowly, the machine stopped whirring and Julia helped Lup limp forward. Barry groaned, pushing himself up. He looked up at them and smiled.

“You’re okay.”

He winced a little and pulled himself to standing, leaning a little on the wall of the machine.

“You’re...alive.” Lup sounded stunned. Then she said it again, like she couldn’t believe her eyes. “You’re  _ alive _ .”

Taako punched Lucas again and then looked over.

“Hey Lulu, what should we do with this asshole?”

Carey was leaning in the doorway with her cellphone in hand.

“Kidnapping charges sounded like fun. So I called the cops.”

Lup nodded, but she wasn’t really paying attention to that. She took a step forward and stumbled. Barry caught her and for a long moment, they both looked at each other. Then he smiled, looking a little stunned.

“I  _ am _ alive.”


	15. Epilogue

6 Months Later

Lup hummed to herself as she finished up the last of the calculations for her assignment. She felt someone lean against her chair and she looked up and back into the smiling face of her boyfriend.

“Hey there, Bear~”

Barry laughed and leaned in to kiss her forehead.

“Almost done? Taako’s been yelling about how we’re gonna be late for dinner and he’s uh... and he’ll never forgive either of us.”

Lup grinned and looked back down at her homework.

“Almost done, last problem.”

Barry leaned in so he could see the page better and Lup pulled it away. Then she shoved him lightly.

“Go harass Taako for like five minutes, babe. And stop checking my math. You’re not grading my homework yet.”

Barry laughed as he turned towards the door.

“I told you, Professor Miller doesn’t let me grade your work. That’s-“

Lup waved a hand at him as she grabbed her calculator again.

“Yeah, yeah, unethical and a violation of academic something or other. I know. Still, let me finish this last little bit...”

She trailed off, sketching out a diagram as she punched a few numbers into the calculator. Barry smiled and walked into the kitchen. Taako was setting the table, chairs crammed around it as best as they could manage.

“Well?”

Barry went to help with the plates.

“She’s on the last problem, Taako. She’ll be done in a minute. Just relax.”

Taako opened his mouth to respond when there was a knock at the door. He shot a glare at Barry and went to open it. Kravitz stood there with flowers in his hand and a sheepish smile on his face.

“I know, I’m early, but-“

Taako threw his arms around Kravitz’s neck and kissed him.

“Handsome, you are _always_ allowed to get here early and save me from my sister and her live-in boyfriend.”

Barry snorted, a smile on his face.

“We’re not _that_ bad, Taako.”

Taako turned back to the stove to stir the sauce he was working on.

“Don’t believe a word of it, Bones. They’re saccharine. I’ve seen crème brûlée with less sugar involved than those two. And it’s like... fucking nerd flirting! With physics and shit. I’m in hell, Bones.”

Kravitz chuckled quietly and went to find something to put the flowers in.

“Sounds like we have competition then.”

Lup came out of her room just as there was another knock on the door and she opened it wide. Magnus and Julia stood there, Magnus with his arm around Julia’s shoulders. She was holding a tray.

“I baked a cake. I hope that’s cool with Mr Chef over there.”

Taako sniffed and then leaned in to check his sauce.

“Only if you made a buttercream and didn’t just _buy_ your frosting.”

Lup shoved him lightly.

“Ignore Taako. I usually do.”

Julia set the sheet cake on the counter and grinned at Lup.

“That was my plan.”

Taako rolled his eyes.

“I’m not appreciated in my time.”

* * *

It wasn’t long before dinner was ready and Taako was getting ready to serve. He had a bit of a frown on his face as he looked at the table.

“Okay, where the fuck is Luce? I thought you invited her, Lulu.”

“Totally did.” Lup leaned back in her chair as she reached for her phone. “She didn’t call or anything.”

Barry stood, opening his mouth to say something just as there was a knock at the door. He opened it to find Lucretia standing there with a stack of papers in her hands.

“Oh uh, hey Lucretia. We were just uh... wondering where you were.”

“Sorry I’m late but...” She looked at Barry and then at the others in the room. “I’ve got another case for you, I think.”

Barry and Lup exchanged a look as Lucretia sat down.

“Yeah, sure, what’s up?”

Lup leaned in to grab the first article off the top. Lucretia took a breath and looked around the room.

“Have any of you ever heard of a place called... Wonderland?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to take this moment to thank everyone who came on this wild ride with me. Thanks for trusting me with these characters and following along of their adventures. And a special thank you to the TFW discord for letting me bounce ideas off them when I got stuck. Oh, and since it doesn't get called out specifically: yes, Lucas Miller is in prison.


End file.
